This invention relates generally to video games which may be played in video arcades or using home computer systems.
Video games involve a series of video images each including a plurality of image elements. The video games generally require the user to navigate through a series of video images that may operate like a video movie. Commonly, these video images are animated. The user is called upon to take certain action in the course of traversing the video images and may receive score or credit based on his or her performance.
With the high speeds available with current computer systems, video games both in arcades and in homes have become extremely popular. Because of the higher speeds now possible, the video game action is more lifelike. Therefore, exciting game sequences are available that require considerable skill to successfully play such high speed games.
Many games now have multi-player formats that may be played over the Internet by unrelated players. The players compete with each other by playing the game from separate computer systems linked over the Internet.
A number of games such as Quake(copyright) (Id Software, Inc.) have received considerable attention. Organizations of devotees of the various games have been started. Many players have considerable interest in purchasing items associated with the games. Thus, many of the game makers or their licensees also sell related items to users. These items may be sold through web sites offered by the game makers or their licensees. The types of items sold include action figures and clothing related to the games.
Given the extensive consumer acceptance and widespread interest in such games, there is always a need for better ways to commercialize the economic value generated from these games.